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Niantic Changes Pokemon Go Raid Roster And Times

Shortened Raid Battles and an unusual shift in available Raid opponents highlight the game's latest update.

Even 17 months after the game's initial release date, Pokemon Go is still providing players with new ways to fight and collect their favorite pocket monsters. Niantic has accomplished this goal by giving the game frequent updates, and though many of the developer's changes to the Pokemon Go formula have been popular among players, others haven't. For some players, this latest update may be a case of the latter.

Pokemon Go's New Raid Battle Roster

This latest Pokemon Go update marks the very first time that Niantic has overhauled the roster of available creatures players can encounter within the game's signature Raid Battles. Several creatures have been introduced into the roster, while others have had their places shifted up or down a tier. Some of these changes make for big differences: the addition of Porygon as a soloable raid means players now have a viable way to more easily evolve the creature, but replacing Magikarp with Metapod raids means players will have fewer chances to grind for items like Candy.

Other Changes In Latest Pokemon Go Update

In addition to changing up the roster of available Raid Battle creatures, Niantic has also chosen to reduce the duration of Raid Battles themselves. Instead of lasting for one hour, Raid Battles are now capped at 45 minutes. As for why this change was made, Niantic hasn't yet said, but players should keep the new time limit in mind when planning out their battles. Those who follow the game closely will also recall that Niantic also recently made changes to Pokemon Go's invite-only EX Raid Battles following an influx of player feedback.

It's also worth remembering that this month marks the final migration of the game's three current Legendary dogs: after doing a tour around the Asia-Pacific region as well as Europe and Africa, Suicine has now settled into Legendary Raid Battles here in North America. Likewise, Raikou is ending its tour in Europe and Africa, while players in the Asia-Pacific region can now fight and capture Entei.

Kevin Tucker

Guides Editor

Kevin Tucker is a long-time gamer and writer with an eye for technological news and a drive for extensive research. When he's not off exploring virtual worlds, he spends his time working on motorcycles, reading science fiction, and playing electric bass.